The Merchant of Venice: Act 1, Scene 3

1. ducats: gold coins. My estimate is that 3000 ducats was the equivalent of at least 750 English pounds. For purposes of comparison, Shakespeare bought New Place in Stratford, a house with ten fireplaces, two barns and an orchard, for £60.

SHYLOCK15Oh, no, no, no, no: my meaning in saying he is a
16good man is to have you understand me that he is

17. sufficient:i.e., a good security. in supposition: doubtful, uncertain; i.e., not certainly in existence.

17sufficient. Yet his means are in supposition: he
18hath an argosy bound to Tripolis, another to the

19. Rialto: commercial and business exchange of Venice and the center of commercial activity.

19Indies; I understand moreover, upon the Rialto, he
20hath a third at Mexico, a fourth for England, and

21. squand'red: unwisely scattered.

21other ventures he hath, squand'red abroad. But ships
22are but boards, sailors but men: there be land-rats
23and water-rats, water-thieves and land-thieves, I
24mean pirates, and then there is the peril of waters,
25winds and rocks. The man is, notwithstanding,
26sufficient. Three thousand ducats; I think I may
27take his bond.

33‑37. Yes, to smell pork; to eat of the habitation which your prophet the Nazarite . . . pray with you: Perhaps these lines are spoken aside while Shylock "bethinks him" (see line 30). 34. Nazarite: Nazarene. (For the reference to Christ's casting evil spirits into a herd of swine, see Luke 8:32‑33 and Mark 5:1‑13).

33Yes, to smell pork; to eat of the habitation which
34your prophet the Nazarite conjured the devil into. I
35will buy with you, sell with you, talk with you,
36walk with you, and so following, but I will not eat
37with you, drink with you, nor pray with you. What
38news on the Rialto? Who is he comes
39here?

79That all the eanlings which were streak'd and pied
80Should fall as Jacob's hire, the ewes, being rank,
81In the end of autumn turned to the rams,
82And, when the work of generation was
83Between these woolly breeders in the act,

118And foot me as you spurn a stranger cur
119Over your threshold: moneys is your suit
120What should I say to you? Should I not say
121"Hath a dog money? is it possible
122A cur can lend three thousand ducats?" Or
123Shall I bend low and in a bondman's key,
124With bated breath and whispering humbleness,
125Say this:
126"Fair sir, you spit on me on Wednesday last;
127You spurn'd me such a day; another time
128You call'd me dog; and for these courtesies
129I'll lend you thus much moneys"?

ANTONIO130I am as like to call thee so again,
131To spit on thee again, to spurn thee too.
132If thou wilt lend this money, lend it not
133As to thy friends; for when did friendship take

134. A breed: offspring, increase (cf. line 96). The figure continues in barren . One of the oldest arguments . . . more

134A breed for barren metal of his friend?
135But lend it rather to thine enemy,

136. Who: from whom. break: fail to pay on time, go bankrupt.

136Who, if he break, thou mayst with better face
137Exact the penalty.

SHYLOCK137 Why, look you, how you storm!
138I would be friends with you and have your love,
139Forget the shames that you have stain'd me with,

140. doit: coin of trifling value.

140Supply your present wants and take no doit
141Of usance for my moneys, and you'll not hear me:
142This is kind I offer.

164By the exaction of the forfeiture?
165A pound of man's flesh taken from a man
166Is not so estimable, profitable neither,
167As flesh of muttons, beefs, or goats. I say,
168To buy his favor, I extend this friendship:
169If he will take it, so; if not, adieu;